The pressure is building on Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe following their 10th Premier League defeat of the season against Brentford on Saturday.
The 3-2 reverse left the Magpies in 12th place on 33 points, and they are now closer to the relegation zone than the top four with 13 matches of the season still to play.
There is a vital fortnight coming up for the 48-year-old, as they face another underperforming side in Tottenham in London on Tuesday, followed by a FA Cup fourth round tie at Aston Villa in their bid to win more silverware.
Following the clash at Villa Park, Newcastle then face a two-legged Champions League play-off against Azerbaijani side Qarabag, which is sandwiched by a trip to Manchester City.
Eddie Howe Sack Update Emerges at Newcastle
Eddie Howe
Questions were raised over Howe's future after boos rang around St James' Park following Dango Ouattara's 85th-minute winner for the Bees this weekend, but it was quickly reported that the Englishman's job was safe for now as he retains the full support of the board.
However, north-east reporter Luke Edwards has suggested that a more likely scenario right now is that Howe could walk at St James' Park if he feels the majority of the crowd are turning against him - something we saw beginning to happen on Saturday.
The 48-year-old is certainly visibly beating himself up at the moment given the form, and he will hope their season can take a positive turn in the next two weeks.
PIF Must Target Xavi for Newcastle
Barcelona head coach Xavi looks on from the touchline
Perhaps as he approaches four-and-a-half years in charge, it is getting to the point where a freshen up is needed to take Newcastle back up the table.
One standout free agent manager still on the market is former Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez, who was suggested as a Howe replacement by the Mirror in November.
It's always been speculated that PIF could look to appoint a bigger name manager than Howe next when they decided it was time to make a change, and getting the Spaniard would certainly raise the club's profile in Europe and worldwide.
The other names in the frame appear to be the likes of Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola and Crystal Palace's Oliver Glasner, so it really depends on what route the club want to go down.
However, what you can guarantee with the 'world-class' Xavi is that he has top-level coaching experience in La Liga and the Champions League with Barcelona, winning the former in 2023.
It feels as though attracting top players to St James' Park has become more difficult too in recent years, and there is no doubt that Xavi would give the club a bigger pull than most other managers they could appoint.
Xavi - described as 'the best manager in the world' by Barca president Joan Laporta - is said to want a Premier League job, and Newcastle could be seen as a great opportunity for him to progress a club in a big stadium.
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